On 18 January, Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, from the right-wing populist Free-Party of Austria (FPÖ), issued an order to establish a border guard unit within the Austrian police. Its main task will be to ensure proper border protection at border crossing points within a few hours and to carry out identity checks in the event of a significant influx of migrants. The order is to prevent any repeat of the situation in 2015 when the Austrian border was crossed by hundreds of thousands of migrants without any identity checks.

This measure stems from the commitment of the coalition government of the Austrian People's Party and the FPÖ to tighten immigration policy. The effectiveness of the new border unit will depend on other measures taken by the Austrian Government as well as by the EU. This is, in particular, to strengthen the protection of the EU's external borders, increase the number of deportations, and ensure the legal reception of refugees who are entitled to asylum. Despite the establishment of the European Border Guard and Marine Guard (FRONTEX), populists have criticised the level of protection of the EU's external frontiers. For this reason, national efforts to limit the consequences of the migration crisis or to prevent another will depend on the EU's common approach. Significant disagreements persist, nonetheless, such as the system of migration quotas or current proposals for the reform of the asylum system.